Manual-automatic cruise control circuit



1963 P. w. MAURER ETAL 3,100,021

MANUAL-AUTOMATIC CRUISE CONTROL CIRCUIT Filed March 16, 1962 INVENTORS P/zilv 14/. Maura) James Misha/"2", J2:

THE )1? AT TOR/Vi) United States Patent 3,160,021 MANUAL-AUTQMATIC CRUEE CGNTRGL CERCUIT Philip W. Manrer, Dearhorn, and James Wishart, .lr., St. Clair Shores, Mich, assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 136,128 4 Claims. (Cl. 180-821) This invention relates generally to vehicle speed controlsystems and more particularly to an electric circu t for permitting such speed control systems to automat cally become operative when the desired cruise speed is attained by the vehicle, or in the alternative, to be under manual control so that a positive action of the vehicle operator is required to engage the systems.

One of the functions of speed control systems is to control the road speed of a vehicle at a preselected value on highways without the necessity of the driver holding the accelerator pedal depressed. For safety reasons such systems are provided with a switch on the brake pedal in series with a part of the systems control circuit so that the circuit is deenergized Whenever the brake pedal is depressed. To reset the system, it has been necessary to again accelerate the vehicle until it reaches the preselected speed and then to push a control button which may be mounted on the instrument panel to again lock in the control circuit. It has been deemed desirable to have the control circuit automatically re-engage as soon as the prese.ected speed is reached without the necessity of operating a separate button or control member each time the vehicle has been decelerated. However, such an arrangement requires safety controls to prevent an inexperienced person operating the vehicle for the first time from suddenly going into cruising speed control and thereby losing manual control of the device.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide automatic lock-in for speed control systems without the above-mentioned danger.

It is a further object to provide a circuit wherein the speed control may be locked in the cruise mode of operation by the push button means in the normal manner as described above.

In addition, a manual-automatic control is provided for vehicle speed systems. When the manual-automatic control is placed in the automatic position the system automatically locks in at a preselected speed. Upon release of the vehicle brake, should the brake be applied, the speed control system will again lock in automatically when the preselected speed is reached.

To protect the inexperienced driver, the annual-automatic control will move from automatic to manual whenever the transmission is shifted into park, neutral or reverse positions, or whenever the ignition switch is turned off. If desired, tis effect may also be obtained when any vehicle door is opened. It is then necessary to move the manna-automatic control back into automatic position before automatic lock-in is obtained. A circuit embodying the present invention is herein disclosed in which the manual-automatic control does not stay in automatic position unless the transmission selector is in a forward drive position and the ignition is on.

Reference to the accompanying drawing, which schematically illustrates the invention, and the following detailed description will enable one skilled in the art to practice the invention.

As illustrated, a battery is electrically connected from one terminal to ground. The other terminal is electrically connected with a series of switches by the conductor 12. An automobile ignition switch 14 is adapted to be closed when the car ignition is in the on position and a transmission switch 16 is provided with any conventional actuating means (not shown) to maintain the switch in closed position in all forward drive positions. Other switches as may be desired may be provided, in series with switches 14 and 16, which, e.g., open when any vehicle door is opened, or when a clutch pedal is depressed for operation of a manual transmission, or when the drivers seat is unoccupied.

A manually operable relay 18 is controlled by a spring biased button 24) mounted on a vehicle instrument panel 22 conveniently adjacent the vehicle operator. A conductive armature or switch 24 is mechanically connected to the button 20, as indicated by the dashed line, and is operatively assoicated with the relay 18. A spring 28 is mounted to bias the button outwardly from the instrument panel and to bias the armature or switch 24 to an open position as shown.

A conductor 36 is connected to an electrical contact 31 adapted to be engaged by the armature 24 and leads to a brake operated switch 32. As illustrated schematically the brake pedal 34 is mounted on brake actuating linkage 36 extending through the vehicle floor board 38 and mechanically connected, in any suitable manner, to the switch 32, so that the switch will be opened by any brake applying movement of the linkage.

A conductor 40 electrically connects the brake switch 32 and a solenoid 42 operatively associated in any conventional manner with the throttle actuating linkage so that energization of the solenoid will advance the position of a portion of the throttle linkage to the substantially full throttle position to render the speed control systern operative in the cruising speed controlling condition. An example of a road speed control mechanism in which the solenoid 42 is employed and to which the present invention can be adapted is shown in US. Patent No. 2,972,390, entitled Vehicle Road Speed Control, issued February 21, 1961, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. In that patent disclosure, the accelerator pedal portion of the throttle linkage is locked in the substantially full throttle position by a solenoid equivalent to solenoid 42 and the speed error sensitive power servo modulates the throttle valve to maintain constant vehicle speed. This is permitted through a lost motion linkage between the locked linkage and the throttle valve linkage.

As shown, conventional throttle linkage 44 is associated with an accelerator pedal 46. The throttle rod 48 connected to linkage 44 may be adapted to open a normally closed throttle switch 58 when the accelerator pedal 46 is substantially fully depressed, as more fully disclosed in the above-noted patent. A conductor 56 connects the solenoid 42 to ground through the normally closed throttle switch 58.

Conductors 60 and 62 electrically connect the coil of relay 18 to the conductors 56 and 40, respectively. A switch 64 bridges the conductor 62 and is operatively associated with the conductive armature or switch 68 of a relay 66 and in its normal position completes a circuit from conductors 60 and 62 through the coil of relay 18. In its closed position, the armature or switch 68 of the relay 66 is connected by conductors 70, 72 to the conductors 12 and 30, respectively, on opposite sides of the relay 18. The coil of the relay 66 is electrically connected to conductor 72 through conductor 74 at one end and to ground 76 at the other end. A second control button lever 78 is connected to the armature or switch 68 and mounted adjacent the button 20 on the instrument panel 22. The cotnrol button 78 is biased outwardly from the instrument panel by a spring 80 to a position in which switch 64 is closed and the switch 68 is open. A speed selector switch 82 bridges the conductor 3t) and is adapted to be held in the closed position by a suitable speed setting control so that the solenoid 42 will only be energized at the selected speed setting. Switch 82 may be held closed by mechanical means until the relay is deenergized.

In operation, the operator may energize the speed control solenoid 42 by pressing in either one of buttons 20 or 78. This may be accomplished thy pressing button 7 S at any time when switches 14 and 16 are closed and the vehicle has reached the desired speed. The energization of the solenoid 42 through conduct-or 12, switch 24, 31, conductor 30, switch 82, switch 32, conductor 40, conductor 56 and switch 58 permits the speed control system to maintain the vehicle speed at its chosen value. Continued energization of the solenoid 42, and hence the maintaining of a desired vehicle speed, is controlled by the position of the various circuit switches. The switch 14 is closed when the ignition of the vehicle is turned on and switch 16 is open in the neutral, park and reverse transmission positions. Assuming the transmission to be in one of the forward positions at which switch 16 is closed, the closing of armature or switch 24 by actuation of the first button 20 energizes a brake controlled circuit. Current will flow from the battery 1%} through ignition switch .14, transmission switch 16, armature 24, brake switch 32, the solenoid 42 and the throttle switch 58 to ground. The relay 18 is simultaneously energized through conductors s0, 62 and causes the armature 2.4 to the maintained in a closed position against the bias of the spring 28. The opening of any of the switches in the circuit will immediately de-energize the solenoid 42 and open the circuit to the coil of relay 18, thereby permitting armature 24 to he returned to the left or open position. Thus, it will be seen that application of the brakes will open brake switch 32 and de-energize the circult. The operator must again actuate one of the buttons to thereafter energize the solenoid 4-2.

If it is desired to eliminate the aforementioned effect of the brake control the operator will press button 78. This will open switch 64- and close switch 68 to energize the relay '66. A speed setting control, which may be of the type disclosed in the copending application of Petersen, Serial No. 833,251, filed August 12, 1959, and now Patent No. 3,068,953, issued Dec. 18, 1962, and assigned to the assignee of the present inventtion, will maintain the switch 82 in the closed position when the vehicle is travel ing at the selected speed. Current will then flow from battery via conductors l2 and 70, the switches 68 and 82, the conductor 72 to the conductor 30, and through the brake switch 32 in the aforementioned manner to acmate the solenoid 42. Application of the brakes will momentarily de-energize the speed maintaining solenoid 42. Although the circuit of this solenoid is opened upon application of the brake pedal 34, it will be immediately and automatically re-energized when the brakes are released and the set desired vehicle speed is regained to close switch 82 to return switch 3-2 to the closed position since the relay 66 is grounded, as at 76, and remains energized to keep armature or switch 6% closed. The buttons or levers 20, 78, are manually controllable to both the engage and release positions so that a new speed setting may be made at will at all times.

What is claimed is:

1. Speed control apparatus comprising an electrical source and a speed maintaining device operatively asso ciated with a vehicle throttle, a first electrical circuit o eratively connected to said speed maintaining device, a second electrical circuit operatively connected to said speed maintaining device, manually operable circuit ener gizing means in each of said circuits movable between circuit energizing and de-energizing positions, a vehicle operating condition actuated switch in said circuits operable to an open circuit de-energizing position during occurrence of the vehicle operating condition, first holding means operably associated with said manual energizing means in said first circuit to maintain said manual means in said circuit energizing position, means actuated by said vehicle operating condition switch to render said first holding means inoperative and thereby permit said manual means in said first circuit to move to said de-energizing position, and a second holding means operably associated with said manual energizing means in said second circuit to maintain said manual energizing means in said energizing position during occurrence of the vehicle o crating condition.

2. In a vehicle, an electrical source, operator controlled throttle control linkage, a larake and a speed maintaining apparatus comprising an electrically operated throttle control linkage position maintaining means, first and second circuits electrically connecting said source and said throttle control linkage position maintaining means, a brake actuated switch controllably associated with each of said circuits and adapted to he opened during brake application, an ignition switch controllaxb-ly associated with said circuits, a transmission switch controllably associated with said cincui-ts and adapted to be closed in forward drives only, a manually operated witch associated with each of said circuits, means for maintaining the closed position Otf said manually operated switch in each of said circuits while said cincuits are energized, and means for opening one of said manually operated switches and de-energizing only one of said circuits. when said brakes are applied.

3. A vehicle throttle control linkage position maintaining device comprising, manually actuable mem bers mounted on the vehicle instrument panel, a circuit controlling switch operatively connected to each of said members, spring means biasing each switch to an open posifiIlOIl, first and second electrical circuits energized by movement of each member against the spring bias to switch closed positions, energized holding means in said circuits to maintain said circuit controlling switch closed positions and energize said circuits, a brake switch in said circuits adapted to he opened upon brake application, throttle control linkage position maintaining means operable upon energization of either of said circuits, means in one of said circuits to de-energize said holding means and said circuit upon brake application and means in the other of said circuits to momentarily de-energize said other circuit and said throttle control linkage posirtion maintaining means upon brake application.

4. The device as specified in claim 3 wherein a transmission control member and an ignition control member are operably associated with said throttle control linkage position maintaining means and limit actuation thereof to vehicle operating conditions of closed ignition and forward drives.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,621,542 Robnett Mar. 6, 1954 2,714,880 Riley Aug. 9, 1955 3,023,828 Fuller et al. Mar. 6, 1962 

1. SPEED CONTROL APPARATUS COMPRISING AN ELECTRICAL SOURCE AND A SPEED MAINTAINING DEVICE OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH A VEHICLE THROTTLE, A FIRST ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SPEED MAINTAINING DEVICE, A SECOND ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SPEED MAINTAINING DEVICE, MANUALLY OPERABLE CIRCUIT ENERGIZING MEANS IN EACH OF SAID CIRCUITS MOVABLE BETWEEN CIRCUIT ENERGIZING AND DE-ENERGIZING POSITIONS, A VEHICLE OPERATING CONDITION ACTUATED SWITCH IN SAID CIRCUITS OPERABLE TO AN OPEN CIRCUIT DE-ENERGIZING POSITION DURING OCCURRENCE OF THE VEHICLE OPERATING CONDITION, FIRST HOLDING MEANS OPERABLY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID MANUAL ENERGIZING 